You know I have been downloading and reading articles on a variety of self-improvement for quite a number of years now. Everything on “How to manifest positively”, “Positive mantras that will change your life”, website that elucidate that they will train your mind to better achieve what you really want. I even read material on numerology and Horoscopes that profess will guide you to a better more abundant life…..the list is endless of what is available, and hey some of it I found as downright hocus pocus and just trying to get a buck out of you. I am not offended by that, everybody is trying to make a living. As Barnum and Baily said so many years ago….”There is a sucker born every minute”…..I suppose at time I am or have been that sucker but equally I console myself in saying that I need be cognizant of, and see the broader spectrum.
One cannot deny or detect something totally unless one has experienced the snake oil salesman expounding his wares. Now I do feel that I can detect much earlier the pattern. “Come right in…come and see the greatest show on Earth…..you will be amazed by the lady with two head….terrified by the wolf boy captured from the dark recesses of Africa…..step right up…..” I’m sure most have seen this scenario played out in the old movies……once inside you discover that it was more hype than fact…..

Don’t get me wrong I BELIEVE there is a very large amount of legitimate and valuable information out there as well, but you must develop a discerning eye and ear. There are many motivators out there which will do much good even if you only follow some of the advice that they offer.
You must also bear in mind that there are NO magic pill or formula that will transform you from rags to riches overnight. I do not believe that, no matter how much they try to sell it as being true. I do believe that you can improve yourself; you can improve your situation, no matter how dire it seems right now.
I think, and certainly for me I have found it to be the case and Earl Nightingale expressed it for me very early on in an audio track I listened to….”the magic word”…..ATTITUDE …it is a track well worth its weight in gold. For without it you will never see the opportunities that life places in your path. With the wrong attitude you will certainly see all the obstacles that are there laying just next to the opportunity but your dark shade glasses will limit your field of view in the same way as in the horse and buggy days.
The driver placed blinders over the eyes of his pulling horse to prevent it from seeing the grass or anything of its own interest on the side of the road. The driver limited the horse’s field of view for the simple reason that he wished it to go only in one direction, forward of his choosing. When he needed the horse to veer to the right he would disclosed to the horse…hey here is a new path for you to follow…the horse soon learned that he needed to go in that direction.
The horse would never remember that from his earlier distance view there was a road to the right, but now, as he is nearer the blinders prevent him from seeing that it is there, so he never turns, unless the driver moves the blinders to show it to him, at which time the horse takes ACTION and turns.
That is really the center of my comment at the start. All of the material you read can only achieve ONE thing….To shows you that there are a myriad of opportunities out there but YOU and ONLY YOU must take ACTION if you are to achieve your goal or dream. The action required may be easier if you have the support of others around you but even if you feel alone, if you WANT something you are the one that must make it happen. It will never happen on its own. Sometimes it may feel like it all happen by itself but in reality you had to have made subtle decisions to talk to this person or visit a site or read this book or article which perhaps very subtly guided you toward your dream or desired ambition. Once there, you have to make a conscious decision to take that opportunity you might feel just fell into your lap. Many for fear of the unknown or comfort would let that opportunity slide by and grumble later of what they “should” have or could have done.
So DREAM and ACTION those dreams into reality. You will be the better for it, and likely the naysayers just might be at your back saying…. “that lucky ba…t..d, opportunity just keep falling in his lap….falls in a bucket of sh…t and comes out smelling like roses….I’m sure you heard and or perhaps even said those things yourself……

All material is copyrighted of the author and cannot be distributed without the express consent.

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These days, I think one would be hard pressed not to see some advert, or popup windows whenever surfing the net, with hype against bullying. I believe it’s been around for as long as human kind has learned to communicate. It is fueled by many factors, jealousy, greed, hate, and many other human emotions. No I am not a shrink or any other professional trying to define it. I am just an average Joe, just like you.
The world can be a cruel place to live in, particularly if you let it. It can also be a place of great joy and wonder IF you choose to see it. It will always show you what you are looking for.
If you listen to self-help material, be it video, audio, or books, and they will ALL tell you that the universe will give to you what you truly seek. The point is that our brains are geared to focus on what we think about. It’s the sub-conscious that drives our thoughts NOT the conscious as you may have thought. I know that is hard to believe but it is a fact. I think the following words from Mahatma Gandhi give some reflection to this……it is what is deep inside of you, not the surface that truly influences your behavior…

So how does this affect bullying? I suppose it does not change it but I suggest that it might alter your perception of it.
Bullying will not go away no matter how much we wish it would. It IS a part of human make up. Yes it would be nice if we all lived in a utopic world where everybody gets along and there were no wars or discord. Or would it? How can you tell when something is bad? It is only by comparison to good that one can evaluate degrees of “good” or “bad”.

Like it or not human kind advances through adversity not conformity and bullying is an adversity.

The key is WHAT you do with adversity that matters. I would wager that ALL of us have at one point in our life been subjected TO or DOLED OUT some degree of bullying, …. Come on be honest….. We may not be proud of it, but none of us are free of uttering some unkind word or subjecting someone to some degree of intimidation.
In my day many parent would suggest to you, to provide your antagonist with a swift right cross and be done with it….that was then, things were different.
As I watch my grand-daughter grow I know that sooner or later the question will come up, but not until she interacts more with her peers…yes school age….the day will come when I hear……”grand-pa….I have this girls or boy at school that ….”. What will I say? What will I do? I cannot say at this time, what my actions will be when the time comes. Certainly it will depend greatly on my frame of mind at the time, and the degree of injustice. Of course one always hopes to dispense the Wisdom of Solomon, but after all I am human and subject to all its failing as well as its splendors.
So in short bullying only matters in how we handle it. In today’s litigious society the social media provides a factor that was NOT present in my day…. Today we do not have to contend as in my day of “he said” … “she said”. It is right there displayed in all of its ugliness in print or photographic evidence. However equally important and more than ever we, individually need to not behave in a manner which can feed our enemies eye and ears. Our electronic footprint is extremely huge, larger than most realize until it’s too late. (Name) tagged on Facebook, twitter…etc.
None of us will eliminate bullying, and we all have to deal with it at some time. How we deal with it may make us great or lowly….
Chris Rock…..
In 2007, Chris went so far as to tell host James Lipton of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio that bullying was “the defining moment of my life … it made me who I am”. He even thanked the pack of boys who regularly “kicked my a–, spit in my face, and kicked me down the stairs,” because the experiences not only helped him to think quick on his feet, but also fueled his drive to succeed.
Jacki Chan…..
“ I was bullied quit a lot in my Peking Opera School. I allowed myself to be bullied because I was scared and didn’t know how to defend myself. I was bullied until I prevented a new student from being bullied. By standing up for him I learned to stand up for myself.”
Michael J. Fox…..
“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”

The web is full of support against bullying and yet people are devastated and choose poorly, even in some cases, to end their life because of it. In closing bullying will not go away no matter how hard we wish it. Let’s teach our kids how to deal with it and litigation is not the answer. Teach our kids early how to defuse it, or provide them with enough LOVE and Support so that they can see it as just an exposure to insensitivity and a phase that all of us are exposed to, in varying degree. We must continue to walk through it. Let’s provide them the path to keep walking, and not to stop and dwell on the hurt that can be imposed by the action of the truly ignorant…..

The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there… and still on your feet.
Stephen King

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Over the years, I have listened to many hours, I mean many hours, of audio recordings. I’ve heard quite a variety, as well, from physical medicine to philosophy, from paranormal activity, to holistic healing, from historical events to political dogma, from time management to social and personal relationship; I even listened for pure entertainment to the odd novel. The audio list which is available today, some might say is near endless, and growing at a faster pace than it has ever before. I think no matter what you listen to, most of them can and likely will have some influence on your perception of what we are, physically or how we as humans behave socially. I think even in any novel’s story, there is some aspect of human behavior which is alluded to or highlighted in the story line.
Suffice it to say that I have NOT searched for the human bizarre, as I believe “that” to be a sad state of affairs which I do not care to acknowledge, or devote any of my time to.
I have always looked to find subjects matter which offered me at least a “slight” degree of personal interest, or an incite into human behavior.

Certainly for me, using audio files I found it much easier to explore material that I know I never would have read, in book format; but having listened to that material now, I am happier to have explored it. Some of my own fringe material however, certainly not all, but some, I have listened to several times. Nonetheless, even though I enjoyed the material, I know I still would not read the book. Why not you say? Well maybe because as an audio file I feel as if someone is talking to “me”, telling me about something or someone. I guess researchers would term me an auditory learner. I do often repeat things to myself when I am learning new material. Hearing someone else say it out loud in my ear I guess achieves that part of me which requires it. Perhaps another reason is because I normally listen to my material when I am alone. Reading text, to me requires concentration, and limits my movements; I typically need to be sitting down to do it. Maybe as many would attest I tend to be restless and always need to be doing something. Listening to an audio file means I can do other non-critical things, like walking, yet still absorb ideological content. I have found audio material to be excellent company when you are on a long drive by yourself or just spending time alone.
One audio area that I have concentrated on over the years would be classified as “self-improvement” material. I think they are by far the most numerous in my collection of some twenty five to thirty Giga bites. Am I better for it? I believe that I am but I suspect that I might be a bit biased also. People who have known me over the years may, have a different answer than my own.
What I CAN say, is that within me, I do feel better about myself. The world and life still holds mysteries, which I hope to explore, and hardships which I hope to overcome as well. I have gained confidence which has allowed me to even start a blog, as well as other writings which are not things I would have risked or considered, several years ago.
Having listened to a good quantity of material and I think many that I have searched out for one reason or another appear to be older material. Items written back in the earlier mid-20th century. That seems to have attracted my attention more so than the new age programs you see and hear on infomercials or the web of today.
Many of today’s speakers that I have spot listened to I find pretty consistently, say pretty much the same thing as the older material that I have. For sure new age speakers, each try to put their own spin on the rhetoric, trying to make it sound like they have just discovered or invented it on their own, but you know, since I have listened to so many audio files now, I would suggest that the new eschew the lessons from old. Masters like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, and Earl Nightingale. Perhaps those individuals from the past, also took their cues from older masters as well, I don’t know. But the important thing for me I guess is that the lessons appear to hold true no matter when in history they were written or spoken. I guess for me that, in itself gives the material a strong degree of truth. Our present and our futures are built from the past. Someday check out quotes on line for things people say today. Likely you will find that it might have first been uttered in the Roman era, or the Greeks and many others long since dead; like Aesop’s fables. Things can be modernized but the lesson and formulas appear to remain the same and true.
What started my own Audio Venture was perhaps 15 years ago on a Sunday morning flea market traipsing. I came across a plastic case, in good condition, with a picture on the cover of a white haired older gentleman, clean looking as most of them are, with the Title “You were Born Rich” by Bob Proctor. Well I thought, “I always would enjoy having more money” then I thought “Ha… bet you it’s all about being rich in life or has some religious connotation, he looks a bit like a preacher.” Inside were six or eight cassettes, each with its own title printed. I believe the seller had four dollars written on it, with a publisher price of perhaps sixty five dollars, don’t recall for sure. I don’t even think I tried to talk him down, which is very unusual for me.
Anyway I remember thinking, “can’t be that good, or about financial gains, if this person is here selling it, and so cheaply. He certainly does not look rich, or maybe he just never learned the lessons,” I chuckled to myself for the thought. Needless to say I made the purchase.
I travel a lot so time to myself, is often not in short supply. Well, to make a long story short I found the tapes absolutely brilliant. I loved the message and his voice delivery was excellent for me. I like to think that I am my own thinking man, so for sure there were some passages which might have raised my eyebrows some, upon reflection, but all and all I thought the material well worth the time to listen. The message was in essence (in a small nut shell) you can gain financially and morally without feeling guilty and be a better person for it.
When I came home that trip I invested in four small handheld tape cassette players, blank tapes and carrying bags to hold it all together. The MP3 market was not really the develop industry that it is today. “I know copyright infringement.” Well it is what it is; I was more interested in getting the message to my children. I honestly do not believe that any of them EVER listened to them however. The lawyers can chastise me for doing the act, but fate has reduced it to a meaningless function. Every time I queried my kids about it, there was always some excuse as to why they had not listened to it yet.
I am positive that today, (though that was many years ago) none of them could tell me what happened to the kits I made for them,…. even if their life depended on it. Another proof that you can bring a horse to water but the horse MUST drink for him or herself. (need political correctness these days)
For me, my life study in the audio self-help arena had kicked off in earnest. Bob introduced me to names and ideas I had never heard of before as he introduced source material for himself, like Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Russell Conwell, and an absolute favorite of mine, “The Richest Man in Babylon by George S Clason; information I, believe everyone and especially young people, should be made to read or listen to that one, if none other.
These are but a few of the names which I have since researched and listened to. Most, several times over, some many times over, and every time I found a new insight or understanding. I have carried all of them with me on every trip from that day forward. I believe it has help me to broaden my views from financial facts to commerce history, and market predictions, from political views, to social injustices, from medical revelations to psychic beliefs, from religious societies, to belief in the Divine, from human relationship, to human tragedy and comedy. The spectrum is virtually limitless and growing by leaps and bounds every day.
One interesting point which I have also found is that there are websites like “Learn Out Loud”. Another is “Librivox” which create audio files from old, no longer in print material and it’s free to the public. It is of course of different quality than what is available on the commercial market since Librivox recruit the help of people like you and me to read the material and upload it.
All these tapes which I have purchased over the years and a good majority in second hand book stores have accumulated to a sizable physical mass. You could put them on a book shelf as you would any other book but there is a better solution. In my travels I am limited in carrying weight so all of the material had to be converted into an MP3 format which can now all fit nicely onto one small SD chip.
Once you are done with those bulky CDs, tapes, and records, I suggest donating them to the Institute for the blind, in your area. Perhaps more than anyone else they can appreciate the spoken word. I am pretty sure that many, a blind person shares similar interest to you.
My initial reason for this article was to discuss “Core Beliefs” but having talked about my audio adventures I think has and continues to influence my own core beliefs. At least I hope that they do, and in a positive way.
Many of the self-improvement audio will spell out formulas, and try to make you believe that if you follow it to the letter you will be rich, or famous, or healthy beyond your dreams. I think that “in essence” all of it bears some grains of truth. The hard part I think is in the BELIEF. For it all to work it’s more than just mantras that you might use to convince yourself that you are a true believer. But belief in itself is more than knowing or a thought…… and with that I will conclude with words from

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Recently I had a bit of a conversation about ecology and environmental impact around individual’s living locale. The conversation started innocently enough with, “was seafood a common food choice at home”? Of course, that led into, the community I live in today is a fishing community and has been throughout history. Naturally that led into how we went through a total moratorium on commercial fishing industry which naturally has had a dramatic impact on the community.
The conversation continued onto how international communities continued and still do to this day fish the area by twisting political or legal wording to get around the ban. Of course that is big business for you. The armies of lawyers and accountants that school continue to churn out with what I believe are not morally astute individual but one that is armed to win at all cost. I may of course be wrong in my assumption but I also believe that I am not alone in believing that.
Anyway a third person joined our conversation which by this time we had somewhat left the big business outlook on fishing and we were discussing how individuals we observed in our own respective areas which equally abuse the system and the laws set forth. No matter if we believe those laws to be correct or not. This other person proceeded to indicate his views that in no way do the individuals could ever deplete any eco system because of the abundance of nutrients and water flows which nourish that marine life. The damage is caused by big business altering the land to allow vessel traffic up tributaries and meet industry upstream where it’s more cost effective to their markets to set up there.
That changing weather patterns influence more the abundance or depletion of any one species. There was more to it but that is the general highlight. One of the participants in the earlier part of the conversation had pointed out that they had observed how people were uncaring as to the egg carrying crabs, which I’m not sure for the area but, I think it was implied that they should be returned to sea to continue their spawning ritual. The fact that people would not limit themselves to the designated quantity set forth by regulation but would rush to their trucks and return with an empty tank so that if questioned at the boat could argue that they were still at or under their limit.
This is the point where our 3rd individual made the comment that individuals themselves could never deplete the resources.
You know that got me thinking about individuals and group dynamics. How often do we, as I myself, state that the problem lies NOT with ME but with big industry and big business. Although I do believe that those big industries in all of the disciplines can have the most major impact in the least amount of time and perhaps that is why we develop such an attitude.
When I think back on some of the self-improvement tapes I have listened to it always comes down to, “ICANNOT CHANGE YOU, I CAN ONLY CHANGE MYSELF”. I think that this is true as in the past when I have encountered people, which do, or perhaps believe differently than I do, no amount of argument, for or against a point ever changes them. I do however hope that perhaps our discussion might cause a spark to make them think about it; long after the discussion has vanished and perhaps in that way cause someone to change. But the bottom line still remains that, that individual has had to make a conscious effort to create his or her change. You may provide someone with a match but they must strike it and add fuel to start the fire.
I digress a little, but if I return to the initial conversation points, another thought relative to the “ONE” individual’s influence comes to mind. I think to counteract the argument that BIG BUSINESS is the culprit not the individuals, one can reflect on previous statements made here. To put it under a different light, would I want a large sum of money, maybe a million dollars, from any one big business to compensate me, or a dime from every individual in the country? (Since big business services all of the country)
What would you pick? I’m sure this example has been used before and you may be familiar with it. It’s one which “apparently” according to my findings started in China thousands of years ago.
Big business payout = 1 million dollars…in your pocket
USA population (Apr/01/2010) 308.7million one dime from each = 30.87 million dollars…in MY pocket.
How does this relate to the conversation? Well it strikes me that if we, as each individual person change our attitude and way of thinking then we will force big business to change THEIR way of doing business.
Is this likely to happen? Perhaps not in my lifetime, BUT thankfully I see the school primers and younger generation aware of that one issue and “BELIEVE” that it can be done. Maybe you have seen this as well.